FOR THE RECORD

Joel Klein's appearance Sept. 12 on "The Colbert Report" won't have anyone confusing him with Robert Klein, but the Schools Chancellor served as a good straight man for host Stephen Colbert as they went deadpan to deadpan.

Mr. Colbert, referring to the new monetary incentives for good academic performance, asked, "What kind of cash could you yank down for hittin' the books?"

After the Chancellor said the maximum payouts were $250 for fourth graders and $500 for seventh graders, Mr. Colbert asked, "Is this only limited to students? Because I bet I could ace some of those fourth-grade exams."

Mr. Klein responded, "Well, we're gonna start with students. But if it works, we're gonna expand it, absolutely."

Mr. Colbert remarked, "I love this idea of paying the students, because what it does is, it brings free-market forces to knowledge. If you score in seventh grade and make $500, you can invest that money in nerds to write term papers for you when you get to eighth grade."

To which Mr. Klein parried, "I have a better idea. You can actually, if you do well in seventh grade, you can actually do your own term papers in eighth grade. That's what this is all about."

"Umm-hmm," said a less-than-enthused Mr. Colbert.

"You're not interested," Mr. Klein said. "But our kids will be ... what I'm trying to do is enable them to earn money when they get out of school."

Mr. Colbert then said, "I've got a new idea that's kind of an old idea, okay? As long as you're going to be paying kids and make it seem like a job, why not just bring back child labor? You give those 10-year-olds a couple of shifts in my textile factory and a couple of fingers missing, they'll hit the books and achieve."

He then sought to up the ante, declaring, "I will pay $600 for seventh-graders to come to my house, smoke cigarettes and play violent video games. Will you match my offer? Or don't you care about New York's kids, Joel Klein, if that is your name?"

Mr. Klein shot back, "I'm willing to play this game, but just remember one thing: I've got Michael Bloomberg on my side."

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The Sergeants Benevolent Association is presenting its "Sergeant of the Year" awards to union members who distinguished themselves on the job during a luncheon Sept. 21 at Giando on the Water in Brooklyn.

Among those being cited are Sgt. Anthony Burgio, who while off duty Jan. 31 spotted four armed robbers and followed them, then, with the aid of backups he had summoned, placed the suspects under arrest; Sgt. Robert Delaney, who last Dec. 9 confronted a man with a gun and prevented him from firing it, eventually leading to an arrest, and Sgt. Barbara Fischer, who last Sept. 28 responded to a report of an unconscious child suffering seizures and saved the 14-month-old's life using rescue breathing techniques.

Honorees also include Sgt. Kevin Komorsky, who last Aug. 4 while investigating an attempted murder apprehended the suspect, who was carrying two guns, as he boarded a subway train; Sgt. Sean Lynskey, who after he and Police Officer Scott McKenna were confronted by an armed man June 23, was involved in the gun battle that killed the suspect, who earlier had wounded two people; Sgt. Aris Montalvo Jr., who while off duty on May 11 spotted a woman after she had just robbed a Staten Island bank and followed her in his car while broadcasting a description of the suspect and her vehicle to a 911 operator, leading to her arrest; and Sgt. Tracy Ragsdale, who combined with another officer from Brooklyn's 63rd Precinct to save two adults and a baby boy from a fire last Dec. 7.

Sgt. Vincent Fiorenza will be honored for his work on April 26 in helping to capture two carjacking suspects who had already knocked an officer unconscious after he stopped them for speeding, and Sgt. James Rector for intervening in a drug-related gun battle last Oct. 26, during which he was seriously wounded.

Sgts. John Mastronardi, Kelly Busby. Michael Hendrix, Craig Melfi, William Sommer, Joseph Sanfilippo and Brian Stamm are also being cited for going above and beyond the call of duty.